The city Board of Elections (BOE) provided the Greenbelt City Council with a summation of the events and the workings of the past city election at a worksession on June 3. Representing the board were Chair Steve Gilbert along with members Nicole Shyong, Edith Beauchamp and Beth Terry.
The 2025 election saw 3,255 votes out of the city’s 15,979 registered voters; a number up 21 percent from 2023 when there were 2,685 votes.
Of note, there were 2,151 votes in favor of the ranked choice voting referendum question — a majority of the total votes, though only 13 percent of the registered voters.
The BOE noted some complaints from residents about candidates accessing homes of residents, when signs were posted for no solicitation. The board decided to refrain from any formal action with the candidates as it violated BOE’s official purview. However, in regard to multifamily buildings in future elections, BOE upheld the rules in locations that have a strict policy on access only by residents.
One candidate was allowed to use his nickname on the ballot, as he pointed out that few residents would recognize his actual name.
Training Sessions
There was a discussion on training for poll judges and poll workers. There was a general consensus that judges should receive the most training, perhaps separate from workers, as more is required of them should problems arise.
Poll workers typically are trained the night before. Suggestions were presented that training could be spread out over a couple of sessions to achieve better understanding, yet Terry stressed misgivings over burdening workers with a larger time commitment.
Should ranked choice voting be adopted, all workers at the polls will need to be prepared to explain the system to residents.
Mailed Ballots
Councilmember Kristen Weaver brought up the idea of mailing a ballot to all residents, instead of the current system where ballot applications are mailed. She felt it would be a simpler process.
Terry was apprehensive of this and indicated that perhaps up to a third of all mailings are sent back, mostly for the addresses being defunct, citing the county’s difficulties in purging lists of non-current voters.
Councilmember Silke Pope felt that the application process creates better voter integrity, while acknowledging Weaver’s point.
Beauchamp assured them that the mail-in ballot system is well vetted and resistant to any voter fraud or invasion of privacy.
Terry stressed the board’s continuing procedure to not have a list of the city’s non-citizen voters included with the voting list that is sent back to the county by the city clerk after each city election.
Vendor Issues
The BOE had issues this past election with its vendor, Fort Orange Press (FOP), who has been tasked with printing ballots, ballot applications and mail-in ballots. Due to a delay in printing, mail-in ballots were sent a month later than expected. As well, incorrect versions of mail-in ballots and election day ballots were provided, requiring city staff to work with the city’s election equipment vendor Clear Ballot to eventually rectify the problem by printing ballots in-house between October 29 and November 4, 2025.
The board and the city are in the process of either choosing a new printing and mailing vendor or exploring a safe, alternative way to do it by print-on-demand. Prior to the last election, the city’s past experience with FOP had been positive.
The BOE is committed to providing draft legislation to council very soon that will be used to amend the City Charter and Code for the possible adoption of ranked choice voting. This system allows voters to vote for more than one candidate in their order of preference. Council candidates must reach a 12.5 percent threshold in the final vote to earn a place. Further council meetings on this as well as public input and education by the BOE are planned.